


You Belong With Me

by colleenegan25



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Everlark Fic Exchange 2019, F/M, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2020-01-15 18:05:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18504268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colleenegan25/pseuds/colleenegan25
Summary: Prompt 10: Based on “You Belong With Me” by Taylor Swift music video: Katniss is Lucas Till’s character, she has a relationship with Gale, but she doesn’t really like being with him. Peeta is pining for her, like Taylor Swift’s character, observing them and think he and K belong together. [submitted by anonymous]





	You Belong With Me

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt was fun for me because this song was popular when I first began dating my husband. Also I used one of my ex-boyfriends for some of Gale’s annoying traits. Thanks to the fabulous Heilb for being my beta and turning my ramblings into a coherent story. Also thanks to everlarkficexchange for running this awesome thing!

**Wednesday**

 

“Hey Kat, how’s your week been?” Peeta smiled as he saw her approach their favorite booth at Sae’s. 

 

“Exhausting. I can’t wait to eat some real food,” Katniss said, plopping her backpack down on the booth. It was a weekly tradition that he and Katniss eat lunch together now that they didn’t live in the dorms and share all their meals.

 

“Uh Kat I know you’re always hungry and all, but what exactly are you talking about?” Peeta questions his best friend of 3 years. 

 

“Well you know how Gale gets with food. No caffeine, no nitrates, no refined sugars and definitely nothing fried.” she trailed off

 

“Oh yes I know ‘his body is a temple.’ I mean what kind of a freak doesn’t eat chocolate?! No offense.”

 

“None taken.”

 

“But what does that have to do with you?” Peeta was concerned.

 

“We’ve been cooking together more, and he came to the grocery store with me last week so I only bought stuff that he would eat too. But then I realized that I’m starving all the time because I am not a woman who can sustain herself on vegetables and quinoa.” Katniss let out an exasperated sigh.

 

“Duh! How, after 2 years, does he not realize that?” Peeta is indignant on her behalf. It’s one thing for someone to put limits on their own diet, but forcing them on someone else was uncalled for. And anyone who knew Katniss knew she needed to eat.

 

“I think Gale thinks he’s changing me. Maybe he is a little but I just don’t think I can be the matching kale smoothies for breakfast partner he’s envisioning me to be.”

 

“Well Kat, I can’t imagine why he’d even want you to be one of those girls. Lucky for you I already ordered us some Irish nachos--which should be arriving any minute.”

 

“You’re the best!” Katniss smiled up at Peeta

  
  


_ If you can see I'm the one who understands you _

  
  
  
  
  


**Second Wednesday**

 

Katniss is waiting for him in their booth. “Peeta I need you”

 

Peeta coughs at how that sounds, “What do you need?” 

 

“Will you come to pre-bowl after this? I have to miss bowling league tomorrow night because I have an exam. You know Jo will kill me if I mess with our team’s chances of first place this year. 

 

“Of course, but aren’t you cutting it a little close? Don’t your pre-bowl numbers have to be in at least 24 hours ahead of time?”   
  


“Look at you, Peeta! You already know the bowling league rules without even playing. Yes I am cutting it close but I hate going down there by myself, so I waited until I knew you were free.” 

 

Peeta doesn’t even bother to question why she didn’t ask Gale to go with her. He’s too excited about having some one on one time with her that lasts longer than their weekly lunch dates. 

 

After an hour of bowling, talking, and laughing Peeta was feeling great. Lighter than he has all week. 

 

“Thanks for hanging out with me while I did that! You always make me feel better.” Katniss smiled and gave him a hug before walking back towards her apartment. It’s only once he got home that Peeta began to wonder what was going on that made Katniss need to feel better. 

 

_ Been here all along so why can't you see _

  
  
  


**Third Wednesday**

  
  


Katniss happily munches on Sae’s famous buffalo chicken sandwich and fries. “Is there a wrong way to make a bed?” she asks her friend.

 

“Huh?” Peeta’s mouth is full of fries. He finishes chewing. “What do you mean? You know I always make my bed. My mom drilled that routine into us as children.”

 

“Right, that’s why I’m asking you. Is there a specific ‘correct,’ (using her fingers to make air quotes) way to make a bed?”

 

Peeta shakes his head,, “I don’t think so. I think the military has certain routines and so do hotels.  But for most people as long as the sheets and blankets are straightened out they consider that a made bed. Why are we talking about this? Did you start watching HGTV or something?”

 

“No it’s just... Gale really likes the bed made. And it’s all the same to me to just leave the sheets and blankets in a mess since that’s how they’ll be as soon I go back to bed. I know that’s not his preference, so this morning when he was in the shower I made the bed. Just to be nice, you know? I’m sure that it was a little sloppy but I thought it looked good. Then without saying a word to me Gale walked back into the bedroom  and pulled the covers back off before proceeding to make the bed again.” he just undid everything and made it again.”

 

Peeta just stared at Katniss. 

 

“Seriously? He remade the bed after you already made it? Kat that’s really fucked up. What kind of a person doesn’t acknowledge when something thoughtful has been done for them? Then just corrects it because they think they can do it better?” 

 

“Right? I appreciate your indignation. Gale just shrugged it off and told me I was being too sensitive.” Katniss shakes her head at the memory.

 

“Well on behalf of all bed makers, let me make it clear that redoing it after someone else has already made the bed is rude and strange.” Peeta thinks to himself I would never take her for granted like that. 

 

Katniss smiles, “Thanks Peet.”

  
  
  


_ You belong with me _

  
  
  
  


**Fourth Wednesday**

 

“How was your weekend Kat? You never made it over to Murphy’s on Saturday.”

 

“I know sorry. Ugh. Gale dragged me to another Frat party,” Katniss rolls her eyes. “I feel like now that we’re 21 we shouldn’t have to go to them anymore. But Gale insists it’s an important part of his ‘brotherhood.’ How was the band?”

 

“Really great actually! They did some acoustic songs that you would have loved. They were hauntingly beautiful.” Peeta smiles wistfully.

 

“So jealous! I was stuck listening to the latest Ariana Grande song on repeat all night. Drinking shitty beer.”

 

“That sounds awful. Why didn’t you just leave?” asks Peeta. 

 

“I tried! I told Gale I couldn’t handle it anymore when the sister sorority’s new pledge class showed up. Then he told me that I wasn’t being a supportive girlfriend by bailing on him on a Saturday night.” 

 

Bailing?! Peeta shook his head. How could Gale claim she was bailing when she showed up to a party she clearly didn’t want to go to even when she had other plans. 

 

“If you ask me he wasn’t being very supportive of your interests.” Peeta mumbles half under his breath. 

 

“Yeah, we got into a fight and I ended up just sucking it up and staying for a little longer until I could go home and just go to bed,” sighed Katniss. Doesn’t that sound like quality time with your partner.” 

 

“Sorry to hear that. I didn’t mean to bring up any drama.”

 

“Not your fault, but I promise that I’ll be at the next show with you even if there is a frat party.” Katniss says. 

  
  


_ It's a typical Tuesday night _

_ I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like _

_ And she'll never know your story like I do' _

  
  
  


**Fifth Wednesday**

 

Peeta walks in to Sae’s and finds Katniss already waiting at their booth surrounded by books, papers and her laptop. 

 

“Hey, you look busy,” he says as he slides in across from her. 

 

“This semester is really kicking my ass Peet. All my classes are moving at full force and the readings and homework have really been piling up.”  Katniss is many things but she is not a procrastinator, so Peeta realizes that she must have a ton of work to do if she's bringing it with her today."

 

“If you’re too busy for lunch it’s okay Katniss, we can take a week off. I don’t want you to get behind on your studies,” Peeta looks genuinely concerned. 

 

“No!” Katniss practically shouts. “This lunch is the only thing saving my sanity. Gale and I have been fighting a lot over anything and everything. This week he’s annoyed at how much homework I’m doing and thinks that I’m using it as a way to avoid him.” 

 

“Seriously? That guy can be a real piece of work,” Peeta shakes his head in disgust. A tiny part of his heart skips a beat knowing that he’s the thing that is saving her sanity. 

 

“Yeah I don’t know if maybe I am trying to avoid him subconsciously. He’s making me feel all nervous and stressed to be around, which I do not need on top of my heavy class load this semester,” Katniss puts her head down on the wood table. “Peet, I just don’t think I can do it anymore.”

 

Peeta tries not to panic seeing his my friend in such distress. He moves over to her side of the booth and starts rubbing circles on her back. 

 

“Do what?” He asks quietly.

 

“The fighting with Gale is exhausting. We’re never on the same page about anything. He gets mad about the food I buy and eat, and how I clean the apartment. And now he thinks that I’m doing too much homework?  I can’t keep doing this, it’s too much.”

 

“Katniss, you should tell Gale all this. I’m sure he’s not intentionally trying to stress you out. Remember relationships are supposed to make you happy and feel supported, not angry and stressed. I know you’ve been dating a long time but you’re not married. You shouldn’t feel obligated to stay with him just because you’ve been with him a long time.” Peeta shocks himself by saying that out loud. He quickly adds, “Sorry if that got a little preachy. I just hate seeing you upset”

 

Katniss shakes her head and gives a weak smile. “It’s okay. Can we just eat and talk about something else to get my mind off this?”

 

“I know just the thing! Put your books away, we can go to the library after lunch. Let’s get milkshakes and cheese fries while I tell you all about Rye’s antics last weekend. Spoiler alert - he had to go to the hospital again.” 

 

Katniss laughs at Rye’s ridiculousness while drinking her chocolate milkshake. After they finish she smiles at Peeta and squeezes his hand, “Thank you. That was just what I needed.”

 

_ I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be _

_ Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself hey isn’t this easy  _

  
  
  


**Sixth Wednesday**

 

Peeta is reading a book in their booth when he sees her walk through the door. Or at least it’s someone who vaguely looks like Katniss. She’s dragging her feet, her backpack looks like it’s weighing her down, her face looks bewildered

 

“Katniss, are you okay?”

 

“Well I finally did it.”

 

“Did what?”

 

“I broke up with Gale.” Peeta tries to keep his face neutral when his feelings are really swinging from elation to shock to mortification at his elation. 

 

“Okay...how’d that go? How are you feeling?”

 

“I thought I’d feel relief and I thought he’d see it too. We’d been fighting a lot, and we’d barely spent any time together anymore. And the time that we did spent together we weren’t enjoying each other’s company you know? It just seemed like it was time. He’s a rational, logical person and I thought when I laid it out there like that he would agree that we’d be happier apart.”

 

“But he didn’t…?” Peeta prompted.

 

“No! He acted so offended! And shocked. Shocked - Peeta! How in the hell could be shocked that I want to break up when all he does is act frustrated and disappointed with me? He said he had started planning our future together, and that it was selfish of me to want to throw that all away. I told him that I was sorry but I just didn’t think I could be the partner he thought I should be. By the end of my rational explanation for why it seemed obvious we’d be happier apart he was almost in tears.” 

 

“Gale was crying?” Peeta was very comfortable with his emotions but Gale was not. He was much more stoic and often seemed like emotions were a waste of time. Peeta had always thought that’s why the guy became a computer science major. Computers didn’t have feelings. 

 

“I know right! He kept begging me to tell him what to change and was so insistent that we could fix it. But I was just too worn out so I told him the time for that had come and gone.” She sighed, “sorry for all the word vomit but it’s just I’m so tired.”

 

“It’s okay, fall break will be here in 2 days. I’m proud of you. While it seems like your breakup conversation was difficult at least it’s over now.” Peeta says reassuringly.

 

“I wish it was over.”

 

“What do you mean? I thought you said you broke up.” Peeta looks at Katniss puzzled.

 

“We did. But Gale basically said he wasn’t accepting that outcome. So now to prove me wrong he’s trying to do all these things to show how much he cares about me and that we should be together. I know he’s trying to kind and romantic, but it’s feeling clingy and like he won’t let go.” 

 

“What’s he doing exactly?”

 

“Well the day after our breakup he left me a mix cd under the door of my apartment. The next day he left some chocolates with Johanna to give to me.  Then yesterday I found a massage gift certificate in my mailbox with a note that said, ‘I know you’ve been stressed out, take some time to relax.’ I know it’s all coming from a good place, but why did it take a break up for him to realize that he should care about me? Am I a heartless bitch if all these nice gestures just make me more annoyed about the way he acted the past few months.

 

“No, of course not. Your feelings are valid, if Gale wanted to do some nice romantic things he had plenty of opportunities. If you’re still confused about your feelings that’s okay too. You’re only 21, Katniss. You don’t have to have everything figured out yet.”

 

“Thanks Peeta, for everything. I don’t know how I would’ve survived this semester so far without you.” Peeta ignores the beat his heart skipped and comforts his friend. 

 

“Kat go home, see Prim, recharge. It’s fall break next week, so just take some time to be away from all the college drama. I think it’ll really help you relax and prioritize.” Peeta advises.

 

_ And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town _

_ I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down _

_ You say you’re fine _

_ I know you better then that _

  
  
  


**A month later...Tenth Wednesday**

 

Katniss sits in their booth anxiously rolling a flower between her hands.

 

Peeta is taken aback when he sees her wearing a dress with her hair down and flowing. 

 

“What’s all this?” he asks as he sits down.

 

“I got my priorities straight.” She hands him the flower and he’s surprised to see that it’s a dandelion. Where did she find one this late in the fall? The better question is why is she giving him a flower?

 

“And…?” he doesn’t want to get his hopes up.

 

“I think what I’ve been looking for has been here the whole time. Peeta would you like to go out with me on Saturday night?” Katniss looks hopeful.

 

“Yes, of course. Of course I would.” Peeta beams at her.

 

“Great!”  “Also I already ordered the Irish nachos.”

 

“And that’s why you’re my favorite person!” 

  
  


_ I think I know where you belong _

_ I think I know it's with me _

_ Can't you see that I'm the one who understands you _

_ Been here all along so why can't you see _

_ You belong with me _


End file.
